Vehicle with front and rear wheel steering and a steering system which includes skid simulation and control

Abstract

A vehicle used for training drivers in driving techniques such as skid control has front and rear axles each with steerable wheels. The two signals used to drive motors which control the steering angles of the front and rear wheels respectively are independently generated, may be changed while the vehicle is in motion to simulate a particular event such as a skid and respond to the drivers attempts to control the vehicle.

I claim: 
     
       1. A vehicle with a steering arrangement comprising: a front axle with road wheels, a steering wheel, a steering mechanism responsive to rotation of the steering wheel for adjusting the steering angle of the road wheels; a rear axle having road wheels, a rear wheel steering mechanism having a rear input shaft for adjusting the steering angle of the rear axle road wheels, a rear axle motor connected with the rear input shaft, means responsive to rotation of the steering wheel for selectively generating one of a plurality of rear axle demand signals for said rear axle motor, means for generating a rear axle feedback signal indicative of the position of the rear input shaft, and means for comparing the demand signal and the feedback signal and generating a rear axle difference signal, the rear axle motor responding to the difference signal to rotate said rear input shaft and thereby reduce said rear axle difference signal, at least one of said plurality of demand signals causing the rear wheels to steer in the opposite direction from that being steered by the front wheels; and wherein the front wheel steering mechanism has a front input shaft, a front axle motor connected with the front input shaft, means responsive to rotation of the steering wheel for generating a front axle demand signal for the front axle motor, means for generating a front axle feedback signal indicative of the position of the front wheel steering mechanism front input shaft and means for comparing the front axle demand and feedback signals and generating a front axle difference signal, the front axle motor responding to the front axle difference signal to rotate said front input shaft and thereby reduce said front axle difference signal. 
     
     
       2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, in which the road wheels are provided with brakes and a brake pedal and means are provided for rendering said brakes inoperative except for a brief interval after each depression of the brake pedal. 
     
     
       3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, in which the means for rendering the brakes inoperative has means which adjusts the front axle wheels to a central position irrespective of the position of the steering wheel. 
     
     
       4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, including means comparing the front axle feedback signal with a predetermined threshold value and turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheels when the feedback signal exceeds said predetermined threshold value. 
     
     
       5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 4, including further means for restoring the rear wheels to their central position when the feedback signals from the two axles are the same. 
     
     
       6. A vehicle with a steering arrangement comprising: a front axle with road wheels, a steering wheel, a steering mechanism responsive to rotation of the steering wheel for adjusting the steering angle of the road wheels; a rear axle having road wheels, a rear wheel steering mechanism having a rear input shaft for adjusting the steering angle of the rear axle road wheels, a rear axle motor connected with the rear input shaft, means responsive to rotation of the steering wheel for selectively generating one of a plurality of rear axle demand signals for said rear axle motor, means for generating a rear axle feedback signal indicative of the position of the rear input shaft, and means for comparing the demand signal and the feedback signal and generating a rear axle difference signal, the rear axle motor responding to the difference signal to rotate said rear input shaft and thereby reduce said rear axle difference signal, at least one of said plurality of demand signals causing the rear wheels to steer in the opposite direction from that being steered by the front wheels; and wherein the rear axle demand signal has a direct relationship to the amount of rotation of the steering wheel, the vehicle being provided with means for varying that relationship, and further including means for adjusting the power supply to the rear axle motor and thereby the speed of response of the rear axle motor to a change in the rear axle demand signal.